The Pittsburgh Pirates are trying to win with Paul Skenes in his prime. The team continued their big offseason spending on Monday when they reportedly agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract with designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
Ozuna, 35, is hitting .232/.355/.400 with 21 home runs over 592 plate appearances this season. While the slash line is 14 percent higher than the league average hitter, that’s a steep drop off for Ozuna, who hit 48 percent better than the league average in his first two seasons. Between 2023 and 2024, Ozuna has a slash line of .289/.364/.552 with a combined 79 homers.
advertise
The move marks another offseason addition for the Buccaneers this offseason. Ozuna’s signing comes after the team reportedly traded for power-hitting second baseman Brandon Lowe and signed free agent Ryan O’Hearn in one of the largest trades in the franchise’s recent history.
Power is clearly a focus for the Pirates, who hit just 117 home runs last season, last in the majors. That number is 31 home runs fewer than the St. Louis Cardinals, who ranked 29th in the majors with 148 home runs.
This story will be updated.